The public principle designates the basic decision of a community to reveal the documents of its administration in principle all persons (administrative transparency). If information is to be kept secret, then an exception must be arranged expressly. If no such exception is relevant, then everyone is a right to see the documents of the administration without it would have to prove a special interest.

The contrast to it is the secrecy principle, after which the documents of the administration are under certain conditions accessible only in certain cases and.

Many countries know the public principle. In particular in Sweden it has a long tradition, sees Offentlighetsprincipen.

In Switzerland the federal administration is in the process changing over from the traditional secrecy principle to the public principle. The Federal law over the public principle of the administration from 17 December 2004 regulates this change; it is to be inkraftgesetzt on 1 July 2006. For further information see Related links.

Public principle in the procedural law

The public principle is a principle of the procedural law. Over the public of the main negotiation also indifferent persons can experience, how penal jurisdiction reacts to criminal offences. In this way right consciousness can be confirmed. This principle was introduced during the French revolution, for the purpose of control of the law. The principle applies however only to main negotiations with adults. In the youth criminal law the main negotiation is not public for the protection of the young people.

See also

• Administrative reform, uninformativeness, information liberty law, official secret, administrative ethics

Related links

• Switzerland: Federal law over the public of the administration
  • Legal text (pdf)
  • Message (pdf) of the Upper House of Parliament to the law

Articles in category "Public principle"

We found here 5 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 3 related websites.

• 0.02 COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC, Principle II
  COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC, Principle II. The educator believes that patriotism in its highest form requires dedication to the principles of our democratic ...


• IX. APPENDICES FOR THE 2000 EDITION APPENDIX A: PUBLIC SECTOR ...
  APPENDIX A: PUBLIC SECTOR/PRIVATE SECTOR TASK FORCE PRINCIPLES. AND RECOMMENDATIONS. PRINCIPLES. The Task Force identified seven principles as the basis for ...


• Private Equity; Public Principle: The Impact of Public-Private ...
  Private Equity; Public Principle: The Impact of Public-Private Partnerships on Sustainable Development in Canada, the Netherlands, and Hungary ...